


Reinvented, Again

by antigrav_vector



Series: CapIM bingo fills - 2016 [24]
Category: Iron Man (Comics), Iron Man Noir, Marvel Noir, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, BUT NOT THIS TIME, Cap_Ironman Bingo, Comic Book Science, Cosmic Cube, Get Together, M/M, Magic, Mission Fic, Tony Stark Hates Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-21 17:36:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7397020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigrav_vector/pseuds/antigrav_vector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that they've got the cosmic cube Director Fury wanted them to retrieve, and they're almost back in friendly territory, Steve and Tony make some discoveries and decisions.</p>
<p>Direct sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/7387123">Coming to an Agreement</a>, and the final installment in my Stony Bingo series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bingo fill for the prompt "de-aged".
> 
> Unbeta'ed, so please forgive any remaining mistakes.

"What the _goddamn hell?!_ "

Steve started fully awake at that. Tony hadn't sworn at all, in all the time they'd been together so far, so hearing it now was almost alarming. A glance at Tony was enough to make him stop in his mental tracks to stare, though.

Tony, standing at the far end of the cabin and staring into a mirror, stunned, looked about twenty years younger than he had last night. He was bare-chested, and the metal plate Steve had noticed the night before was just gone, for all that it had seemed to be embedded in Tony's skin.

"Tony?" Steve knew his tone was tentative, but he didn't want to do more than get Tony to look at him. Tony was upset enough already. Steve watched as he pulled at his open shirt and buttoned it up with quick jerky movements that looked like they were driven by some indefinable emotion halfway between terrified and elated. Steve wanted to wince at the way the air in the cabin was charged. They weren't at the stage where they could properly read one another yet, but Steve suspected it wasn't far off, with the way things had been developing.

Jarvis came in a moment later. "What's all the fuss about now," he grumbled, and stopped short himself. "Tony, what on God's green Earth have you gotten yourself into, this time?"

"I wish I could tell you, Jarvis," Tony said on a sigh. "It's not exactly unwelcome. Unlike some of the other random magics I've gotten hit by. But definitely weird."

Steve had to disagree. Tony had been handsome even as an older man, but now... holy Hell. How he'd stayed single so long was really beyond Steve. A man that attractive would have had to _really_ work at it not to have someone hanging off his arm at all times, and with his fortune, Tony would have had even more people angling for him.

He himself wanted to go over to where Tony stood and run his hands all over him.

It was mainly Tony's upset that was stopping him. It was clear that even Jarvis' presence wasn't truly registering on Tony unless Jarvis was speaking.

"No kidding," Jarvis huffed, getting Tony's focus again briefly. "This is definitely better than that time you got yourself turned into a werewolf for a week."

Tony turned to Steve, and muttered, "don't ask." Catching Jarvis' eyes, he went on after a beat. "There's more than just the looks."

Now Jarvis looked vaguely alarmed again. "What else?" he demanded, tone brooking no refusal.

"Let's just say I won't need the orichalcum anymore."

Jarvis looked like he'd been hit in the face with a fish. Steve puzzled over that statement for a moment, not understanding the significance, then gave it up with a shrug. He could ask Tony later. "So," he put in, breaking his silence and making both of them look at him. "Just how worried do we need to be?"

Jarvis snorted. "Not at all, from the sound of things."

"I feel better than I have in years," Tony agreed.

"But what caused this?" Jarvis asked. "And will it be reversed?"

"Not a clue," Tony replied. "But I'd send whoever or whatever did it a thank you card, even if it were."

_\-- [pleased/amused/smug] --_

Steve jerked to his feet. "What--"

_\-- [freedom/escape/like/thankful] --_

Tony swallowed, and stared at Steve's pack, lying discarded on the floor where he'd tossed it last night. "Well. That's a new one. None of the intel said that cube was sentient."

It took Steve a moment to put together what Tony had, and when he did, his knees gave out.

Jarvis eyed Tony for a long moment, and it was clear he'd 'heard' the cube too. He addressed it directly a moment later. "So you're telling us you helped Tony out because he got you out of that facility."

_\-- [agreement/relief/affection] --_

"Well, hell." Tony ran a hand over his face. "I suppose you made sure we could get you out, too."

Another wave of agreement washed over him, but Steve knew he looked skeptical. "Wait, why didn't you just get out yourself?"

_\-- [resignation/irritation/frustration] --_

"You couldn't?" Jarvis guessed. "You needed someone to physically move you."

_\-- [affirmation] --_

Tony made a bemused sound. "And this was your way of saying thank you?"

_\-- [affirmation/distaste/relief] --_

Steve wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I have to say, Tony," he joked, "you choose your friends well."

"Hah!" Jarvis scoffed. "Not always."

"No need to rub it in," Tony grumbled, then addressed the cube again. "So, by that logic, Steve should have been rewarded, too. What'd he get? He doesn't look any different."

"I don't feel any different, either." Steve shrugged. "I don't think it did anything."

_\-- [indignation/negation] --_

Jarvis laughed. "I think you might have to keep on your toes for a few days, Captain," he said. "Until you find out exactly what it gifted you."

The cube said nothing, but Steve groaned. "Great. More surprises."

He couldn't find it in him to regret anything about this particular one, though. If his was anything like Tony's, it should be something good.

"Anyway," Jarvis said after a pause, "I wanted to tell you that we'll be making port in London in an hour."

Steve stared after him for a long moment, thoughtfully, as he disappeared back up to the helm. "Tony," he asked, "I've asked myself about this a few times and not found an answer." That opening got him a raised eyebrow from Tony, and a 'go on' gesture. Steve drew a deep breath. "We didn't want the Nazis to have the cube. But is it any better that Fury should? Or any of the other agencies that are sure to fight over it?"

Tony nodded. "I know what you mean. I don't have an answer, either. Best case scenario, there's a lot of infighting, and the cube is unhappy again."

_\-- [wariness/negation] --_

"Exactly." Steve bit back a sigh. "But you can't keep it either. Eventually someone will work out that you have it."

_\-- [negation/amusement] --_

"Oh?" Tony would have raised an eyebrow at the cube if it had been a person. "You saying that you can hide?"

_\-- [affirmation/affection] --_

"That might work," Steve agreed, hedging the statement a little. "For a while, at least."

Tony shrugged. "With some luck and our cubular friend's help, possibly until the War's over."

_\-- [agreement/distaste/resignation] --_

Feeling daring, Steve stepped over to Tony and put a hand on his shoulder. Steve could feel him tense slightly through the sturdy material of his shirt. Tony wasn't wearing pants yet, and the sight of his legs, bare save for his shorts, was surprisingly enticing. "In the meantime, though," he suggested, "would you like to have dinner with me?"


	2. Chapter 2

[Three months later]

Steve was jerked out of a sound sleep by the ringing of the phone in the hallway. Tony groaned sleepily in protest and grumbled, "ignore it. It's far too early."

Steve yawned. "I'm awake now."

Padding out into the hallway, he picked up the ringing phone and put the receiver to his ear. "Who's calling?" he asked, more than a hint of a growl in his voice.

"The two of you yahoos better get yer asses to my office by 7," Fury growled back and hung up.

Steve pulled the receiver away from his ear and blinked at it for a moment, as though the exchange might make more sense if he did.

Tony was sitting up in bed, now, rubbing at his eyes with his knuckles and looking totally mussed. It reminded Steve of the wonderful sex they'd had the night prior, and he sat on the edge of the mattress next to his lover, running his fingers through Tony's hair with a fond smirk. "Apparently Fury has something urgent for us. Wants us in his office in an hour and a half."

That woke Tony up somewhat more and he pushed into the caress. "What'd he want?"

"Didn't say."

"Typical." Tony made a face. "Fine, let's see what his officiousness wants."

Snickering, Steve stood and leaned down to haul Tony to his feet. Once he was there, Tony leaned forward, plastering himself to Steve from neck to knees, and wound his arms around Steve. It was a comfortable affectionate position, and Steve reveled in it.

They'd learned a lot about each other in the last three months. Common wisdom was that when they were together, alpha and omega stabilised one another and made each other generally better at handling their own emotions.

Steve turned them toward the ensuite bathroom and its shower as he continued thinking in their shared silence.

It hadn't really been much of an issue on their mission, but Steve had quickly noticed afterward, as he spent more and more time with Tony, that his anger and grief over Bucky's death and his general lack of family and loved ones had all subsided. And it was clear that Tony had been the cause of that. Whenever they were apart for any prolonged period of time -- as they had been once, when Tony had been forced into a trip to California at the same time Fury had wanted Steve for a mission -- all of the emotional instability came rushing back. He knew it was much the same for Tony; they'd talked about it briefly, after a particularly rough mission. Jarvis had made a quip about being glad he didn't have to deal with Tony's self-destructive impulses anymore, and that can of worms had all but burst open.

Gently prying Tony away from his chest as he passed the bathroom door, Steve leaned him against the sink and started the water running. Tony made a sleepy sound of protest, and turned to start digging through their intermingled things for his razor and shaving brush.

Some thirty minutes later, showered, shaved, and dressed, the two of them made their way down the stairs to the kitchen for a hurried breakfast. 

In the end, they got to Fury's office two minutes after 7 o'clock. The secretary gave Steve a smile and just waved them on in. "He's expecting you."

Pushing open the door and leading Tony through it, Steve caught Fury's eye. "What was this all about, then?"

"Steve?" A new -- very familiar -- voice broke in. "That you?"

Not believing his ears, Steve turned to look at the man whose presence hadn't properly registered until now, save as someone else Fury had invited. What he saw made him grope after a chair before his legs gave out.

"Bucky?"

Fury looked downright smug. "Pair of my operatives found 'im wandering around in the wilds of Canada and acting very confused," he offered. "Thought he might want to come home."

"Thought, nothin'," Bucky retorted. "I had to argue 'em into lettin' me." He turned to Steve. "Well? You gonna introduce me to your friend, there?"

Steve and Tony shared a look, then Tony stepped forward, offering his hand. "Tony Stark. Nice to finally meet one of Steve's friends."

Bucky blinked, parsing the phrasing, then shook his head. "So it's like that, is it, Steve? Come on, let's get out of here. I want a proper bagel and a coffee that doesn't taste like dishwater. And then you'd better tell me what the hell I missed, 'cause it's clearly a doozy."

Steve could only sigh and shake his head. That was Bucky for you. Steve couldn't get rid of the niggling thought that he was forgetting something, though. Something possibly important.

It only hit him hours later, when he and Tony and Bucky had retired back to Tony's ridiculous mansion, that he never had figured out what the cube had gifted him.

Well, he thought to himself with a smile, he hadn't until now.


End file.
